Shellac has become something like that gay guy on Survivor. He is a bit older
and a bit wiser than everyone he is competing with. He is a bit bigger than
everyone he is competing with, and he's not afraid to throw his weight around.
He's not afraid of being brash even if it offends someone, in fact he kind of
enjoys it. And, although he might be a little too smart for his own good, he
still ends up on top.
Only 4 of these 10 songs were recorded after Terraform was released. Of
course, Terraform in its entirety sat on a shelf for 2 or 3 years before
the band decided it deserved to be released. It's all kind of queer if you
ask me. Why not release music after it's recorded? Why let recordings sit on
the shelf? Music is not wine.
The music does suffer a little from the long wait. Is math
rock really the rage now-a-days? Not quite. Maybe a couple years ago,
the song "New Number Order" would have kicked a few bands in the ass for
following the clichés of math rock, but it isn't really needed now.
However, the Slint tribute, "Shoe Song", (note the "Good Morning Captain"
calls of "I miss you") may be a bit improved with the added separation from
the late 90s pack of pure imitations.
Most of the album, like the two songs above, seems to be more successful in idea
than full implementation. Perhaps I should have taken "Didn't We Deserve
A Look..." as indication that Shellac doesn't really care how great the song
is or how pleasing it is to the listener as long as the idea is stellar. The
first track on 1000 Hurts, "Prayer to God," is a funny and great idea, a plea
to God to kill an unfaithful wife and the other man, with details on how
the deed should be done. However, the lyrics fall a little flat, repeating
over and over again "kill him, fucking kill him." There are plenty of great
songs on Shellac's pre-Terraform output, like "Il Porno Star" from At Action
Park, that turn a wonderful idea into vivid lyrics and hard-hitting music, but
on 1000 Hurts some of the ideas don't become fully realized, or at least not
to the level I came to expect from the band pre-Terraform or from Steve Albini
in general.
All that aside though, "Prayer to God" does rock, and the spare lyrics can be
both funny and oddly touching. Many of these songs rock, and if there's one
element of Shellac I hope survives whatever artistic turns they take, it is
the rocking. Even the quiet diversion, 1000 Hurts version of "Didn't We
Deserve..." in "Mama Gina," only lasts a few minutes and ends loudly and
noisily.
Whereas At Action Park grabbed you by the balls, 1000 Hurts grabs you by the
shirt sleeve. But, hey, at least it still grabs you.
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